Pop top closure

ABSTRACT

A removable stopper for sealing elongated openings in any container wall. It is particularly adapted for use in all of the several different beverage can and pull tab opener combinations now available on the market. Essentially the stopper consists of a lever, fulcrum and hook structure in combination with a sealing surface. The latter can be positioned within the can and forced up against the bottom surface of the top of the can by actuation of the lever until the seal is established and the hook is attached to the bulging rim around the top of the can. The advantages of this configuration are that one stopper can be used for all of the different pull-tab-type of elongated openings, that the use of the mechanical advantage of the lever creates a tighter seal than might otherwise be possible, and that any pressure buildup which may develop in the can contributes to, rather than detracts from, the sealing of the container.

ilJite utncll States Patent [45 1 Jan.25,1972

[54] PUP TOP CLOSURE Richard C. Dutnell, 903 Shrider Road, Colorado Springs, Colo. 80907 22 Filed: May 18,1970

2i App1.No.: 38,071

[72] Inventor:

Primary Examiner-George T. Hall [57] ABSTRACT A removable stopper for sealing elongated openings in any container wall. lt is particularly adapted for use in all of the several different beverage can and pull tab opener combinations now available on the market. Essentially the stopper consists of a lever, fulcrum and hook structure in combination with a sealing surface. The latter can be positioned within the can and forced up against the bottom surface of the top of the can by actuation of the lever until the seal is established and the hook is attached to the bulging rim around the top of the can The advantages of this configuration are that one stopper can be used for all of the different pull-tab'type of elongated openings, that the use of the mechanical advantage of the lever creates a tighter seal than might otherwise be possible, and that any pressure buildup which may develop in the can contributes to, rather than detracts from, the sealing of the container.

9 Claims, 17 Drawing Figures PP TOP CLOSURE This invention relates to a transferrable stopper for elongated opening in containers. It is one which is particularly adapted for use with liquid containers where an opening in an end panel is created through the use of a built in tearout-pull tab, the contents are only partly used or consumed, and it is desirable to reseal the container so as to keep contaminants out or gas solutes in. Partially consumed containers of beer or carbonated beverages, for example, will evolve gases due to the lowered internal vapor pressure environment once the container is opened. The rate of expulsion of the gas in solution further increases with any increase in temperature of the liquid due to increased molecular activity. The process can only be stopped by sealing the container so that an equilibrium vapor pressure can be attainedover the liquid; the higher the temperature of the liquid, the higher the required equilibrium pressure. Even higher than equilibrium pressures can be achieved within the initially sealed container if the liquid is agitated by vigorous shaking.

Thus, the problem of keeping a partially consumed container of beer or carbonated beverage from going flat is compounded by low atmospheric pressure (as in mountainous regions), temperature increase (as might occur in a camper refrigerator), and agitation (as might be introduced by a small child). Accordingly, my first criteria for a successful sealing structure was that at the altitude of my home (about 6,500 ft. above Mean Sea Level) a warm container of carbonated beverage (they proved more difficult to contain than beer) had to remain sealed after vigorous shaking. The second criteria was that the stopper had to be easy to install by relatively weak user, such as a child. The third criteria evolved as a consequence of the first two; i.e., the pressure increase in the container must contribute to, rather than detract from, the sealing of the container (just as at least one bottle stopper now on the market utilizes any pressure increase to help with the sealing process). The first two criteria also dictated thefourth, for even if the pressure buildup in the container is utilized, the initial sealing force requirement is obviously large enough that unless a mechanical advantage is somehow employed, the stopper cannot be installed tight enough to get a true seal. The last criteria was that the stopper should fit all of the variously sized and shaped tear openings on the market today and ultimately be readily adaptable to any tear opening and container combinations which may develop.

The first part of this last criteria was complicated by the fact that the only similarityin all the observed combinations is in the generally elongated triangularshape; whereas one resembles a distended oil drop, one is almost a perfect triangle, and another is more like a square with a semicircle centered on the bottom edge and a triangle centered on the top edge. Further, irregularities in the container end panel inner and outer surface in the vicinity of the openings are not consistent, and, while some container end panels are rounded, others are flat.

With the foregoing in mind, I have devised a stopper which will be further understood from the following drawings and description wherein:

FIG. la-Ie are plan views of several known elongated openings that are created by pull tabs.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of one version of the stopper.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing the stopper mounted on the container.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of another version of the stopper.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 6--6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 7--7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a modification of one end of the stopper handle to create a quick disconnect" capability.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 9--9 of FIG. 8 with a modified stopper added.

FIG. 110 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

FIG. II is a series of perspective views showing how the stopper is installed in a container.

Referring now in detail to the various views of the drawing, FIG. I is a set of outlines of known elongated openings which occur in the end panels of various beverage containers when a hinged pull tab tear opener is separated therefrom. They are presented to emphasize the major constraints on the dimensions of the various types of stoppers shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 5, and FIG. 9. In any case, in order to be able to seal every member of the set in FIG. 1, the resilient upper sealing surface 20 has to have a major axis longer than the longest member of the set and has to be wider at all the points along this major axis than the widest member of the set at the corresponding point when the major axis is aligned with and centered on the length of the respective openings. In each type of stopper A,

the tamper 21 is similar in shape to the shape of the corresponding resilient upper sealing surface 20; however, the tampered 21 in FIG. 2 and FIG. 9 is essentially the same size as the upper sealing surface 20, while in; FIG. 5 the tamper 21 is much smaller than the upper sealing surface 20. It is, in fact, smaller in every dimension than the narrowest and shortest of the openings represented in FIG. 1. I will say more about the thickness of the stopper A after discussing the remaining component of my invention shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.

The remaining component in my invention, a handle B, is a section of heavy gauge wire which :is wrought to form a combined lever 22, fulcrum 23, and a hook 24. One end 25 of the wire (or handle B) passes through a connection opening located at the centroid 26 of the upper sealing surface 20 and is firmly attached to the tamper 21; shown in the views by riveting 27. The wire, thus being attached to the stopper A, is thereafter flattened and bent to form. a fulcrum 23 and lever 22, and thence curved in a graceful arc to form a hook 24 which has a tempered and sharpened point 28.

The stopper A in FIG. 2 and the handle B are shown in cross section in FIG. 3 on a container C having a sidewall 10, and end panel 11,. and a crimped bulging rim 12 joining the sidewall 10 and end panel 11. The sealing surface 20 is forced up against the bottom surface 13 of the end panel forming a compression-type seal between the two surfaces and outside the periphery of the elongated opening 14 whenever any upward force is applied to the tamper 21. If the stopper A were of the type shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, which resembles onehalf of an elliptic teardrop that has been divided along a major axis as viewed from the point of said teardrop, the fact that the tamper 21 is smaller than any of the elongated openings would result in the upper sealing surface 21) being forced to protrude uniformly through the elongated opening whenever an upward force were applied to the tamper: thereby, forming a shearing-type seal in the opening and a compression-type seal" around the periphery.

The upward force cited earlier is, first, the initial sealing force applied and retained through use of the handle B, and, subsequently, any pressure force which may develop within the container. The initial sealing force is attained by positioning the fulcrum 23 on the end panel I1 near the vertex of the elongated triangular opening 14 so that when the end of the lever 22 nearest the hook 24 is forced down, the other end of the lever 25 attached to the stopper A is forced up leading to the establishment of the aforementioned types of seals which are then retained by positioning the hook 24 so that the point 28 catches the bottom edge of the rim 12 of the container C.

The advantage of the rectangular planform for the pure compression-type seal is that the centroid 26 of the rectangle, hence the point at which the initial sealing force is applied to the tamper 21, is closer to the fulcrum 23 thereby increasing the mechanical advantage to be gained by the lever 22. While the teardrop planform results in a loss of mechanical advantage due to an increase in the length of the lever 22 from the fulcrum 23 to the end 25 attached to the stopper A, it is believed that this loss is offset by the efficiency of the shearing-type seal.

FIG. 4 and FIG. 7 show the cross sections taken at the centroids of the rectangular and elliptical teardrop planforms respectively.

The constraint on the maximum cross-sectional area of the combined stopper A and end 25 of the handle B attached to the tamper 21 is that they fit within the most restrictive of the elongated openings for which the stopper A is intended, because, to get the stopper A within the container and the stopper A and handle B ultimately positioned as shown in FlG. 3, the first of the series of actions demonstrated schematically in FIG. 11, FIG. 11a, dictates that the stopper A be insertable through each elongated opening by first placing the stopper A in a vertical plane of insertion as shown, and then thrusting, in this plane of insertion, downward to position the stopper A within the container. The actions shown schematically in FIG. 11b and 110 then follow easily: a horizontal rotation of the stopper A with the handle B still in the vertical, as in FIG. 11b, and a vertical rotation of the handle B, as indicated in llc, followed by the actions already described regarding positioning of the fulcrum 23, application of force to the lever 22, and positioning of the hook 24 so the point 28 catches on the rim 12 as shown in the final static position of FIG. 11c.

Since it may develop that it would be desirable to use more than one kind of stopper A with a given handle B or more than one kind of handle B with a given stopper A, FIG. 8 illustrates a modification of the end 25 of the handle B to introduce a quick disconnect" capability. The stopper A is not shown in FIG. 8 to illustrate the nature of the modification of the handle B. The end 25, which originally was bent and riveted 27 to the tamper 21, is now continued as an extension 29 of the flat lever 22, a double-keyhole aperture 30, aligned with the axis of the handle B, is located near the end of the extension 29 and two grooves 31 are placed perpendicular to the axis of the aperture 30 on the top surface of the lever extension 29. The upper sealing surface 20 and tamper 21 are as previously described and unchanged but one version of the stopper A is included in the cross sections of FIG. 9 and FIG. to illustrate the introduction of a T-shaped post 32 firmly attached to the tamper 21. The top 33 of the T-shaped post 32 is perpendicular to the major axis of the stopper A so that, to connect the stopper A to the handle B, the top 33 is aligned with and inserted through the long dimension of the connection opening 30, and then rotated 90 so the major axis of the stopper A is aligned with the major axis of the handle B and the top 33 snaps into the grooves 31.

l have shown preferred embodiments of my invention, but it is obvious that numerous changes and omissions therein may be made without departing from its spirit; therefore, this disclosure is not to be limited by the precise details shown in the drawing or described in the specification, but it is my intention to hereafter claim the invention broadly aside from the limitations inherent in the prior art.

I claim:

1. A stopper, adapted selectively for sealing each of any predetermined set of variously shaped dimensionally similar elongated openings in rigid containers, in combination with a first means for securing said stopper to a second means, said second means for applying positioning forces, rotational forces, and an initial sealing force, and a third means for retaining said initial sealing force; each member of said set of elongated openings is assumed to have an area and a centroid determined from a projection of each said elongated opening on a plane, each said area possibly having a different length and a different width such that a maximum length and width are defined; said stopper has a geometric planform with a resilient upper sealing surface, a rigid lower portion and a centroid determined from a plan view of said stopper; said plan view has a major axis and a minor axis such that said major axis is longer than said maximum length and said minor axis is longer than said maximum width; said combination has a maximum cross section, detennined by a plane orthagonal to said major axis, which can be placed within any of said elongated openings; said first means assures at least a semirigid relationship between said stopper and said second means during the installation of said stopper and transmits any said forces applied to said second means to said stopper; said second means is initially used as a handle:

a. to position said stopper whereby said major and minor axis are placed approximately in a plane of insertion orthagonal to the surface of said container with said minor axis approximately aligned with and parallel to said length dimension,

b. to thrust said stopper in said plane of insertion, into and through said elongated opening so that said stopper is positioned inside of said container,

c. to rotate said stopper so that said upper sealing surface of said stopper is closer to said inner surface of said container than is said rigid lower portion and said major axis is roughly parallel to said length dimension, and

d. to position said stopper whereby said centroid of said upper sealing surface is approximately coincident with said centroid of said elongated opening; said second means then requires an applied force to produce said initial sealing force whereby, through use of a mechanical advantage, said initial sealing force, between said upper sealing surface and said container inner surface is greater than said applied force, hence greater than would exist if the same said applied force were applied directly to said stopper; said third means is then used to attach the said second means to said container thereby retaining said initial sealing force on said stopper and maintaining a sealed container, whereby, it being physically impossible to pull said stopper completely through said elongated opening after said stopper has been correctly positioned and an initial seal established, any pressure increase which may develop within said container will act upon said stopper thereby creating a greater sealing force between said stopper and said container surface.

2. The combination of the preceding claim 1, and wherein said rigid lower portion is a tamper with a geometric perimeter in said plan view that is an optimum shape for said set of elongated openings and is wider at all points along said major axis than the widest member of said set when said major axis is aligned with and centered on said length, and said resilient upper sealing surface is located, at a minimum, at said perimeter of said tamper so that a compression-type" seal is formed between said upper sealing surface and said inner surface of said container, when said forces are applied to said rigid tamper.

3. The combination of the preceding claim 2 and wherein said containers have an end panel with said elongated opening being located near an edge of said end panel, so that said length of said opening extends across approximately one-half of said end panel, said optimum shape of said tamper, in said plan view, is rectangular.

4. The combination of the preceding claim 1, and wherein said upper sealing surface has a geometric perimeter in said plan view that is an optimum shape for said set of elongated openings for which said stopper is intended with radial dimensions, measured between said centroid and said perimeter of said upper sealing surface that are greater than the largest of the corresponding radial dimensions for said set of elongated openings, and said rigid lower portion is a tamper attached beneath said upper sealing surface having a plan view that is smaller than each member of said set of elongated openings so that when said initial sealing force is applied, said upper sealing surface will rise and protrude through said elongated openings establishing a shearing-type" seal in said elongated opening and a compression-type" seal on said inner surface of said container.

5. The combination of the preceding claim 4, wherein said set of openings being generally elongated-triangular in shape, said optimum shape resembles one-half of an elliptic teardrop that has been divided along a major axis as viewed from the point of said teardrop, said tamper is approximately a reduced scale version of said teardrop, at least in said plan view, and is overlayed by said upper sealing surface with said centroid of said tamper aligned, in said plan view, with said centroid of said upper sealing surface.

6. The combination in the preceding claim 1, wherein the said second means is a lever and a fulcrum, said lever having an applied force end and an initial sealing force end such that said initial sealing force end is integrally attached, riveted, or welded to said rigid lower portion through a connection opening at said centroid of said stopper thereby providing said first means for connecting said stopper to said lever, said fulcrum is located on said lever and of such dimensions whereby during the application of said applied force, said fulcrum will rest upon said container outer surface at a point closer to said centroid of said stopper than to said applied force end of said lever, causing said stopper to move forcibly to an initial sealing position as said applied force end is forcibly moved toward said container, said initial sealing position being achieved before said applied force end has reached said container outer surface; said third means is then used to attach said applied force end of said lever to said container thereby maintaining said initial sealing position.

7. The combination in the preceding claim 6, and wherein said third means is a spring loaded, tempered hook located on and extending down from said lever, said combination thus being adapted to said elongated opening in an end panel of said container with a crimped bulging rim joining said end panel to said container, so that, as said lever approaches a plane parallel to said end panel and said initial sealing force is applied to said stopper, said hook slides over and catches onto said rim, thereby retaining said initial sealing force.

8. The combination in the preceding claim 7, and wherein said sets of variously shaped but dimensionally similar elongated openings may be many, and said end panels may also be of many different sizes and shapes, said stopper is made in dif' ferent lengths, and said first means is a quick disconnect.

9. The combination in the preceding claim 8, and wherein said initial sealing force end of said lever is flat with an elongated connection opening located near said end, and a T- shaped member extends from said rigid portion of said stopper through said connection opening of said stopper so that the top of said T-shaped member is above said upper sealing surface and parallel to said minor axis of said stopper, whereby said T-shaped member can be inserted through said connection opening in said lever and rotated so that said major axis of said stopper is aligned with the axis of said lever and the top of said T-shaped member snaps into at least one pair of shallow grooves located to either side of said elongated connection opening in said lever thereby making said first means said quick disconnect. 

1. A stopper, adapted selectively for sealing each of any predetermined set of variously shaped dimensionally similar elongated openings in rigid containers, in combination with a first means for securing said stopper to a second means, said second means for applying positioning forces, rotational forces, and an initial sealing force, and a third means for retaining said initial sealing force; each member of said set of elongated openings is assumed to have an area and a centroid determined from a projection of each said elongated opening on a plane, each said area possibly having a different length and a different width such that a maximum length and width are defined; said stopper has a geometric planform with a resilient upper sealing surface, a rigid lower portion and a centroid determined from a plan view of said stopper; said plan view has a major axis and a minor axis such that said major axis is longer than said maximum length and said minor axis is longer than said maximum width; said combination has a maximum cross section, determined by a plane orthagonal to said major axis, which can be placed within any of said elongated openings; said first means assures at least a semirigid relationship between said stopper and said second means during the installation of said stopper and transmits any said forces applied to said second means to said stopper; said second means is initially used as a handle: a. to position said stopper whereby said major and minor axis are placed approximately in a plane of insertion orthagonal to the surface of said container with said minor axis approximately aligned with and parallel to said length dimension, b. to thrust said stopper in said plane of insertion, into and through said elongated opening so that said stopper is positioned inside of said container, c. to rotate said stopper so that said upper sealing surface of said stopper is closer to said inner surface of said container than is said rigid lower portion and said major axis is roughly parallel to said length dimension, and d. to position said stopper whereby said centroid of said upper sealing surface is approximately coincident with said centroid of said elongated opening; said second means then requires an applied force to produce said initial sealing force whereby, through use of a mechanical advantage, said initial sealing force, between said upper sealing surface and said container inner surface is greater than said applied force, hence greater than would exist if the same said applied force were applied directly to said stopper; said third means is then used to attach the said second means to said container thereby retaining said initial sealing force on said stopper and maintaining a sealed container, whereby, it being physically impossible to pull said stopper completely through said elongated opening after said stopper has been correctly positioned and an initial seal established, any pressure increase which may develop within said Container will act upon said stopper thereby creating a greater sealing force between said stopper and said container surface.
 2. The combination of the preceding claim 1, and wherein said rigid lower portion is a tamper with a geometric perimeter in said plan view that is an optimum shape for said set of elongated openings and is wider at all points along said major axis than the widest member of said set when said major axis is aligned with and centered on said length, and said resilient upper sealing surface is located, at a minimum, at said perimeter of said tamper so that a ''''compression-type'''' seal is formed between said upper sealing surface and said inner surface of said container, when said forces are applied to said rigid tamper.
 3. The combination of the preceding claim 2 and wherein said containers have an end panel with said elongated opening being located near an edge of said end panel, so that said length of said opening extends across approximately one-half of said end panel, said optimum shape of said tamper, in said plan view, is rectangular.
 4. The combination of the preceding claim 1, and wherein said upper sealing surface has a geometric perimeter in said plan view that is an optimum shape for said set of elongated openings for which said stopper is intended with radial dimensions, measured between said centroid and said perimeter of said upper sealing surface that are greater than the largest of the corresponding radial dimensions for said set of elongated openings, and said rigid lower portion is a tamper attached beneath said upper sealing surface having a plan view that is smaller than each member of said set of elongated openings so that when said initial sealing force is applied, said upper sealing surface will rise and protrude through said elongated openings establishing a ''''shearing-type'''' seal in said elongated opening and a ''''compression-type'''' seal on said inner surface of said container.
 5. The combination of the preceding claim 4, wherein said set of openings being generally elongated-triangular in shape, said optimum shape resembles one-half of an elliptic teardrop that has been divided along a major axis as viewed from the point of said teardrop, said tamper is approximately a reduced scale version of said teardrop, at least in said plan view, and is overlayed by said upper sealing surface with said centroid of said tamper aligned, in said plan view, with said centroid of said upper sealing surface.
 6. The combination in the preceding claim 1, wherein the said second means is a lever and a fulcrum, said lever having an applied force end and an initial sealing force end such that said initial sealing force end is integrally attached, riveted, or welded to said rigid lower portion through a connection opening at said centroid of said stopper thereby providing said first means for connecting said stopper to said lever, said fulcrum is located on said lever and of such dimensions whereby during the application of said applied force, said fulcrum will rest upon said container outer surface at a point closer to said centroid of said stopper than to said applied force end of said lever, causing said stopper to move forcibly to an initial sealing position as said applied force end is forcibly moved toward said container, said initial sealing position being achieved before said applied force end has reached said container outer surface; said third means is then used to attach said applied force end of said lever to said container thereby maintaining said initial sealing position.
 7. The combination in the preceding claim 6, and wherein said third means is a spring loaded, tempered hook located on and extending down from said lever, said combination thus being adapted to said elongated opening in an end panel of said container with a crimped bulging rim joining said end panel to said container, so that, as said lever approaches a plane parallel to said end panel and said initial sealing force is applied to said stopper, said hook slides over and catches onto said rim, thereby retaining said initial sealing force.
 8. The combination in the preceding claim 7, and wherein said sets of variously shaped but dimensionally similar elongated openings may be many, and said end panels may also be of many different sizes and shapes, said stopper is made in different lengths, and said first means is a ''''quick disconnect.''''
 9. The combination in the preceding claim 8, and wherein said initial sealing force end of said lever is flat with an elongated connection opening located near said end, and a T-shaped member extends from said rigid portion of said stopper through said connection opening of said stopper so that the top of said T-shaped member is above said upper sealing surface and parallel to said minor axis of said stopper, whereby said T-shaped member can be inserted through said connection opening in said lever and rotated 90* so that said major axis of said stopper is aligned with the axis of said lever and the top of said T-shaped member snaps into at least one pair of shallow grooves located to either side of said elongated connection opening in said lever thereby making said first means said ''''quick disconnect.'''' 